About the Project: Introduction

The Need to Document Unsung Foot Soldiers

During the twentieth century, the American South produced a number of African
American social activists, intellectuals, and politicians who helped dismantle
the institution of Jim Crow to create what is referred to today as the “New
South.” Noted figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy,
Rosa Parks, and John Lewis are only a few of those hailed as significant contributors
to the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, well-known
events such as The March on Washington, “Bloody Sunday,” the March
to Selma, and the desegregation of the Universities of Alabama and Mississippi
have come to represent the major events of the civil rights movement in the
popular media.

In recent years, some historians and filmmakers have begun to call attention
to the many “foot soldiers” in the civil rights movement who have
not been widely recognized or acclaimed. The Foot Soldier
Project for Civil Rights Studies, a documentary and research program at
The University of Georgia, joins this vanguard. The Foot Soldier Project
is dedicated to
chronicling Georgia’s rich history in the civil rights movement. While
Georgia is the home of numerous, nationally celebrated civil rights figures
and events, many other Georgia trailblazers and significant events in the
civil rights movement have been neglected or forgotten. The Foot Soldier Project (FSP) focuses on these unsung foot soldiers, those individuals who,
despite playing significant, powerful, and historic roles in the movement,
remain
largely obscure. It is crucial to recount the stories of these foot soldiers,
for although their efforts have not been well documented or widely publicized,
their courage and contributions have nevertheless transformed our nation.

In 2004, Daniels and historian Derrick P. Alridge, associate professor
in UGA’s College of Education, completed the production of Hamilton
Earl Holmes: The Legacy Continues, a civil rights film that chronicles
the story of the first black man to achieve admission to the University
of Georgia.
A desire to share the stories of Ward, Holmes, and other unsung foot
soldiers with a wider audience spurred the creation of The
Foot Soldier Project. A
commitment to preserve and make accessible the valuable interviews
and documents collected during the research for these films led the
Foot Soldier Project
to forge a partnership with the Richard B. Russell Library for Political
Research and Studies and to name the Library as the official repository
for the Project.

The FSP’s focus on unsung heroes in the freedom struggle provides a
grassroots view of historical events that helped shape the struggle for social
and economic justice in the U.S. The recovery of previously overlooked events
and figures in history highlights the pivotal role played by the many individuals,
groups, and communities whose collective efforts yielded social change. Illuminating
an understanding of the African American past as shaped by the combined contributions
of many provides the foundation for future empowerment.

The aim of the FSP, therefore, is not only to commemorate the foot
soldiers of the past, but also—and perhaps more importantly—to
learn from them
and carry their legacy forward. As the beneficiaries of their
courageous actions,
this generation bears the responsibility of continuing their
struggle for freedom and justice.